Washington Gov. Jay Inslee speaks during a press conference, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, at the state Capitol in Olympia, Wash. The state of Washington has stockpiled a three-year supply of an abortion pill in anticipation of a court ruling that could limit its availability, Inslee announced Tuesday. (Steve Bloom/The Olympian via AP)
Washington State stocks up on abortion pills ahead of court ruling
By Lisa Baumann
Washington state has purchased a three-year supply of a leading abortion medication in anticipation of a court ruling that could limit its availability, Gov. Jay Inslee said Tuesday.
The Democratic governor said he ordered the Department of Corrections, which has a pharmacy license, to buy 30,000 doses of the generic version of mifepristone at a cost of about $1.28 million, or $42.50 per pill. The shipment arrived in late March.
A two-pill combination of mifepristone and misoprostol is the most common form of abortion in the U.S. Research shows that medication-induced abortions are safe and effective. They were approved by the Food and Drug Administration over 20 years ago.
The awaited ruling in a Texas lawsuit brought by a Christian group — in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision last year to strip away the constitutional right to end a pregnancy — would affect states where abortion is legal as well as those that outlaw it.
“This Texas lawsuit is a clear and present danger to patients and providers all across the country,” Inslee said in a statement. “Washington will not sit by idly and risk the devastating consequences of inaction.”
Former President Donald Trump-appointed Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk heard debate in March over the Alliance Defending Freedom’s request to revoke or suspend the FDA’s approval of mifepristone. The conservative group claims it was improperly approved.
From apnews.com